Hydrology is the coherent examination of the advancement, flow, and nature of water on Earth and diverse planets, including the hydrologic cycle, water resources and biological watershed practicality Oceans, streams, lakes, ponds, and other bodies of water found on the Earth's surface are considered surface water. ... This includes water vapor in the air, such as clouds. In the image below, the ditch, the sea, and the stream are all examples of surface waterThe main uses of surface water include drinking-water and other public uses, irrigation uses, and for use by the thermoelectric-power industry to cool electricity-generating equipment Groundwater can be found in aquifers. An aquifer is a body of water-saturated sediment or rock in which water can move readily. There are two main types of aquifers: unconfined and confined. An unconfined aquifer is a partially or fully filled aquifer that is exposed to the surface of the land. Water beneath the surface can essentially be divided into three zones: 1) the soil water zone, or vadose zone, 2) an intermediate zone, or capillary fringe, and 3) the ground water, or saturated zone. Major sources include industrial and household chemicals and garbage landfills, industrial waste lagoons, tailings and process wastewater from mines, oil field brine pits, leaking underground oil storage tanks and pipelines, sewage sludge and septic systems. Groundwater, as the name suggests, is water found underneath the surface of the earth. The water from rainfall, lakes, rivers, and streams seeps through the porous ground to reach the water table; a level where the ground beneath is saturated with water. Groundwater is usually contained in an aquifer